The Misty Factor

She was the last born and smallest of Celi’s puppies, but don’t let her diminutive size fool you, this pup is a force to contend with. The walls on the whelping pen had to be raised an extra foot due to Misty’s ability to quickly pull herself up over the sides while her litter mates peeked over as she scampered around the family room. The gate on our stairs has kept her mother and Rosie, our Shelty downstairs for years…Misty climbs up and over it like a little mountain goat.

Perhaps because she had to compete with her 5 siblings, she learned to eat super fast. Even now, weeks after her siblings went to their new homes, she eats as quickly as she can, then runs over to her mother Celi’s and Rosie’s bowls. If we do not block her, Celi and Rosie defer to her, moving out of the way so she can swoop in and eat their food. Such is the force of this girl’s feisty personality. Alas their willingness to let her have her way has help create the “Misty Monster” syndrome; the world is her oyster and we are all there to accommodate her desires.

Her cuteness literally saves her life as she scampers away with our shoes or any other item not nailed down. She has learned to sit and give you her paw on command, but basically bops you with her paw if you are not on your game when giving her the command. Which brings me to her relationship with Micah.

Micah is not an animal lover, in fact, most of the time I would say he is not even an animal liker. Celi and Rosie have learned that Micah will usually ignore them, thus they do not bother him and he seems to prefer that. Celi will keep an eye on him, but never gives him the sad- eye stare if Micah is eating a snack she might want him to share. Misty, on the other hand, has decided that Micah should be willing to not only share his food, but he should also share whatever spot he happens to be sitting. What has caught me by surprise is that Micah not only usually tolerates Misty’s intrusions into his space; he often actually seems to enjoy her antics. Micah will still at times tell her no and push her off, but more often than not, they sit peaceably together. This has created a conundrum for me as I have spent years insisting our dogs not to get on the couch or other furniture. Misty, of course, thinks this rule is ridiculous, and apparently Micah concurs.

Micah may change his mind as Misty is likely to double in size over the next few months, potentially squishing him if they still share space on the couch. Meanwhile we will continue to work on training this strong willed girl, while secretly cheering on her ability to pull Micah into her orbit.

Jan Lessard Peightell March 16, 2023